Obama links McCain's Social Security stance to Bush's

[Omaha Steve]

Source: LA Times

The Democratic contender, speaking to retirees in Oregon, continues to essentially ignore rival Clinton. The state holds its primary Tuesday.
By Nicholas Riccardi, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
May 18, 2008

GRESHAM, ORE. -- Sen. Barack Obama today continued his efforts to tie presumptive Republican presidential nominee John McCain to President Bush, contending that the Arizona senator's Social Security proposal was simply a continuation of Bush's failed attempt to privatize the government-sponsored retirement plan.

"Privatizing Social Security was a bad idea when George Bush proposed it," Obama told a forum at an assisted-living facility here. "It's a bad idea today."

Obama also criticized McCain for proposing to raise the age and income eligibility for Social Security. By contrast, he said, he would eliminate federal taxes on Social Security income for retirees making less than $50,000 annually, and he would raise the cap on the federal payroll tax above the current level of $102,000 "so that people like me pay a little bit more."

It was the third straight day that Obama essentially ignored his rival in the Democratic primary here Tuesday, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, and tried to link November's likely Republican contender to the unpopular president. On Friday he blasted McCain over foreign policy, and on Saturday over healthcare.


Read more: http://www.latimes.com/news/politics/la-na-obama19-2008may19,0,7779236.story

[pscot]

1. Is that a "wide stance"?

n/t

[annabanana]

2. There is not a jot's worth of difference between Bush & McCain

on this issue. Theire stances are identical.

[judasdisney]

3. Finally a Democrat who will actually ATTACK the Right Wing without timidity